S01 E04 - Downtime in Phandalin

Synopsis
The Dames get some well-earned downtime - they level up (!), break bread with the Banik Brothers, do some shopping, and make amends & new friends!

Hang with Rose Lao as she revisits the kobolds (this time as a guest), indulge with Nevar Moor as she enjoys all that the Sleeping Giant has to offer, and join Riot Bonezerker as she does some on-the-side investigations of her own.

Level Up!
The Dames have leveled up and earned a several-day break in Phandalin. Rose Lao picks up hit points, ki points, and Unarmored Movement. Riot Bonezerker gains hit points and gained some spells: absorb elements and hunter's mark. She also learned the Archery fighting style even though she lost her bow in the calamity that forced her out of the Tower Mage Zerker. Nevar Moor also increased in hit points and learned new spells (arms of Hadar and witch bolt) and two eldritch invocations (agonizing blast and fiendish vigor).

The Feast
Davver Banik has invited the Dames over for a feast as a show of thanks. When they arrive, the Banik brothers are all there and Davver's house smells of bread. As promised, he made the Dames five loaves for saving his brothers (one loaf for each brother). He made a black bread (made with molasses), hard tack (for adventuring), a sal bread (a halfling recipe), a ginger bread (a recipe from Shou Lung), and a sourdough bread with a hole in the middle. He states it was baked in a tin with glue, which was removed, in order to make a "glue tin free" bread.

The Dames sit down to feast alongside Sildar Hallwinter and the Banik brothers. Sildar makes a heartfelt speech to show his appreciate for the Dames's help over the last couple of days. He then starts up a conversation with Riot, in which she reveals that she had been thrown from the dungeon that was her home and is trying to get back there. Additionally, she notes that this event seems to have caused her to acquire horns. Riot gets uncomfortable and directs the attention to the other Dames.

Rose mentions that she is from Shou Lung where she grew up with her parents and two brothers. She hasn't seen them in awhile as she most recently came from the monastery, where she has been for the last seven years with her abbott and the monks who live there. Nevar speaks of her time on the road and states that she is a wanderer and will go wherever her feet take her. Sildar also shares that he has an adopted daughter named Winter Hallwinter (introduced as Alana Hallwinter) who enjoys hanging out with her friends.

Everyone eats and drinks to their heart's content and then turns in for the night at Davver's home.

An Apology
Rose Lao is the first one awake the next morning and heads to Barthen's Provisions to get a healing salve, a pack of jerky, and an obsidian gemstone to give to the kobolds in hopes to make amends with them. She finds her way through the back tunnel entrance of Tresendar Manor so she can avoid the many traps. She runs into Meepo with Zardo as she enters and she asks about the kobold she injured, discovering her name is Snudro. Meepo is surprised and suspicious of Rose bringing a gift for Snudro but brings her to Snudro anyway and Rose presents the contents of the package to her. This gesture is cautiously accepted.

Before Rose leaves, Meepo challenges her to a game of Dragon Hoard, of which Rose wins. Then, when Rose returns to Phandalin proper, she finds a nice patch of green and meditates.

The Grand Reopening
Nevar Moor heads to Lionshield Coster and upgrades to studded leather armor and trades in her light crossbow for a hand crossbow. After making her purchases, Nevar heads to the Sleeping Giant to meet up with Riot Bonezerker.

While Nevar was at Lionshield, Riot enters the Sleeping Giant, which has been recently renovated with a fresh coat of paint and monster and Volo memorabilia. She orders drinks from Grista, the dwarven woman behind the bar, and finds out she is the first customer since the grand reopening that morning. Riot furnishes a gold piece in exchange for information about her missing siblings but Grista seems to only have seen bandits prior to the reopening. Grista mentions that Carp Alderleaf, a boy who is from a nearby farm, is familiar with Volo's Guide to Monsters and the monsters contained within. His interest in the Sleeping Giant's memorabilia makes him a frequent visitor so he may know more about who has come by.

Nevar joins Riot in the Sleeping Giant and gets a drink while Riot fills Nevar in about the reopening. In an effort to help Grista's business, Nevar tries a flight of beers so she can share reviews with the townsfolk.

The Vision
After finishing her flight, Nevar departs from The Sleeping Giant and heads back to the Stonehill Inn to attune to her gift from Lord Eric Merryweather: a pan flute that can create visual effects while she plays it.

Later that night, when Nevar goes to sleep, she has a vision. She is running through the Crooked Forest and while she hears maniacal laughter. A shape leaps out of the shadows and she hears "It's not her time yet" and then Nevar awakes. She notices Quoth's eyes change back to black, a sign that the Raven Queen has spoken to her. In her hand is a raven feather with a black ribbon tied to it; she senses that it should be given to someone else.

Alderleaf Farm
Riot Bonezerker makes her way to the Alderleaf Farm and meets Qelline Alderleaf. Riot asks Qelline if she has seen any of her siblings come through Phandalin but no one matching Riot's descriptions have been through, unless Karen came through in dog form as there are some strays in the area. Qelline suggests that her son Carp Alderleaf may have seen them.

Carp is quick to remark that Riot is not in his book, Volo's Guide to Monsters, even though she seems to be "monstrous." After a short lesson in etiquette, Riot asks him about her siblings but he can only recite the information about tritons from Volo's Guide. It quickly becomes clear that Carp is very interested in anything or anyone who could be considered monstrous but that he has not seen Riot's siblings.

Riot offers to stay on the farm for a couple of days and help out; Qelline is grateful for her offer. Meanwhile, Carp asks Riot many questions about monsters and shows a great interest in Riot's experiences and monster encounters. Qelline notes that Carp is less interested in farming and more interested in adventuring, especially after an adventuring party pushed the Red Brands out of Phandalin. Riot suggests Carp could direct his adventurous spirit toward a home for wayward monsters to keep his mind on the farm but also satiate his interest in monsters.

After some time, Riot pulls out her pot of awakening and asks Qelline for some suggestions of what she should plant in it. Qelline asks Carp what he would recommend for Riot. He comes up with several, but helmthorn was a noteworthy option due to a variety of its practical properties. Riot agrees that this would be the best option for her awakened shrub and gets one at Barthen's Provisions. She also gets a bow string and healing supplies.

Sildar's Request
Sildar Hallwinter approaches the Dames in a reserved and quiet tone and asks them for their time. He relays that he thought his daughter was at the lake with some friends when in reality she ended up going into the Crooked Forest with three dwarven friends, presumably due to Volo's Guide, and they have not returned. He asks if they would be willing to look for her and they agree to do so. With a sketch of Winter Hallwinter in hand, they set off.

PCs

 * Nevar Moor played by Essie Hollman
 * Riot Bonezerker played by Jen Vaughn
 * Rose Lao played by Meris Mullaley

NPCs

 * Bilnan Banik, Gnome
 * Carp Alderleaf
 * Davver Banik
 * Grista, Dwarf
 * Jonwont Banik, Gnome
 * Meepo, Kobold
 * Qelline Alderleaf, Halfling
 * Rickroll Banik, Gnome
 * Ronwil Banik, Gnome
 * Sildar Hallwinter played by Brittni Liyanage
 * Snudro, Kobold
 * Travver Banik, Gnome

Visited

 * Phandalin
 * Alderleaf Farm
 * Barthen's Provisions
 * Lionshield Coster
 * Sleeping Giant
 * Stonehill Inn
 * Tresendar Manor

Mentioned

 * Shou Lung

Quotes

 * "Do you . . . Do you have anyone waiting for you at home?" - Sildar Hallwinter (23:40)
 * "Are you trying to get rid of me?" - Rose Lao (25:52)
 * "Also you cannot choose the right color, just so you know, if you buy her a thing." - Riot Bonezerker (29:10)
 * "It's better than wandering down the street and stumbling into a ditch." - Rose Lao (30:47)
 * To Rose: "You're the dragon, good on ya" - Meepo (43:39)
 * "It's not her time yet" - The Raven Queen (64:14)
 * "It's quite puzzling. . . You're rather monstrous, but you're not in my book." - Carp Alderleaf (71:39)



Trivia

 * The Dames level up for the first time of the podcast
 * Davver Banik invents "glue tin free" bread